things that don't work out aren't always the end
by free.song
Summary: Really, Danny should have expected something like this.


Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-0. No profit is made from this fanwork.

Author's Note: Written for a fic exchange on Lj back during the holidays.

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><p>"Danny," Steve whispers, and Danny feels a nudge somewhere around his ankle, and sighs. He doesn't have to look at Steve, knows if he does he'll see the Earnest Puppy Face, and he's never been able to resist Steve, anyway. "Danny," he says again, more insistent.<p>

"_What Steven_?" Danny gives in, lifting his arm enough to peer at Steve from underneath it, wincing as the movement causes his entire world to spin. He closes his eyes again, swallowing hard.

"How ya doin' partner?" Steve asks then, concern practically radiating off of him, and Danny feels a little guilty for snapping. Of course, they wouldn't be in this position in the first place if Steven could, just once in his life, _wait for backup_. But no, instead they were here, locked in a shipping container, and Danny feels like he's going to _die_ if he so much as moves. Fucking gangs. Why can't they, just once, find a couple bad guys who don't believe in doing violence on poor, unsuspecting officers of the law.

Or hey, here's a thought: why can't he and Steve have a nice time together, _just once_ without something going fucking wrong?

So maybe he's a little bitter right now; sue him.

"I was beaten, and thrown into a shipping container, Steven; how do you _think_ I feel?" He sounds hoarse, and irate, and he really just wants Chin, and Kono to hurry up, and_ find them_ already. It doesn't help that this is a Grace day, and Danny obviously can't pick her up right now; he hates disappointing her, and he doesn't get enough days as it is.

Steve is quiet, which is never a good thing, and Danny sighs to himself. The giant goof is probably thinking something horrible, and blaming himself, and Danny can't help but wonder why he got himself into this mess; when he chose to let Steve focus himself on Danny, use Danny as his anchor. Not that he would ever change it, now; there's too much between them, and Danny doesn't want to give Steve up. He'd just prefer there to be less of…This involved.

"Steve," he starts, but stops when he feels Steve moving, shifting around the container until he's nearer, sitting beside Danny's head instead of his feet; the feel of a hand running through his hair makes him want to close his eyes, and purr. It's nice to have something other than the sick feeling rolling through him to focus on, and the way Steve is massaging his head makes the pain there fade into something a little more manageable.

"Little better?" Steve asks, and the bastard doesn't even have the decency to sound smug enough for Danny to stay pissed at him.

"Maybe," he concedes, resting his forehead against the side of Steve's thigh, and swallowing down the vague taste of bile in his throat. He is _not_ going to throw up; he isn't. "Next time you decide to have one of these little dates, Steven," he adds, because he can't resist, "please, for love of my mental health, and well-being, can we just stay home? Maybe watch a movie, have dinner; I am sure we can think of _something_ that does not involve bad guys, and almost dying."

Clearly dates are just not their thing. Something _always_ goes wrong, and while most times Danny is not a fan of giving up, he is prepared to make an exception. Besides, he can think of _many_ things to do that don't involve leaving the house; or the bed. He is a creative person, okay, and having Steve all to himself provides enough entertainment all on it's own; Danny does not need to go out, and do things that will inevitably end up with them beaten in some way, and thrown into shipping containers.

He really isn't going to throw up. He's _not_; he has a _record_, and it will remain unbroken.

Steve's hand stays tangled in his hair, and he'd say something about that any other time, but he's actually almost comfortable, half-curled around his partner as he is, and he just can't bring himself to care about what, exactly, he's going to look like when they finally do get rescued. He's tired, and hurting, and the world spins every time he opens his eyes; a little comfort goes a long way.

"Sure, Danno," Steve says finally, something soft in his voice, and Danny cracks one eyes to look up at him, searches his face curiously for a long moment, and there's something there he's never been able to name. It's all warmth, and softness; a little bit of guilt, and fondness, and God-help-him, love. Danny just sighs, burrowing closer until his head is practically in Steve's lap because what he is supposed to do with this, huh?

He has this giant goof who wears his heart on his sleeve for everyone to see, and tries to pretend he doesn't; this crazy-ass SEAL who adores Danny's daughter almost as much as Danny does, and gets them into insane situations only to pull them out again, making it look like the easiest thing in the world. This man who's been saving Danny every day since they met but he likes to think maybe he's saving Steve, too; that they need each other, and that's why they work.

"Maybe now you'll come swimming with me," Steve adds a moment later, amused, and teasing, but there's something else there, in his voice; something hesitant that makes Danny wonder if he isn't being serious. Hell, if it keeps them out of situations like this, he just might. He doesn't realize he's saying as much until Steve's eyes widen, and blink down at him.

It just makes him grin, despite having just given himself over to the _ocean_ of all things. He trusts Steven in this, as he does in everything, and he can't deny that yeah, he'd kind of like to follow Steve into the water, to learn, and share, and become a part of the half of Steve's life he hasn't yet.

So he sighs, long, and put-upon, but grins up at Steve. "Sure, babe," he says, tugging at Steve's free arm until he can slide his hand down, tangling their fingers together. "We get out of here, take a couple days off, maybe I'll let you drag me into the water, huh?"

He likes that he can still surprise his SEAL, every now and then. It keeps him on his toes, and that's Danny's job. Well, part of it, anyway, and he swallows the taste of bile down again, relaxing into the soothing feel of Steve's hands, and the rumble of noise outside that signals their rescue is at hand. Trust Chin, and Kono to show up once Danny is actually starting to feel less like dying, and he keeps his eyes closed against the sudden influx of light when the container is pried open.

Steve just holds him tighter, leaning over to block the light as much as he can, and neither of them really care what it looks like. "I've got you, Danno," he says, quietly into the space between them, and Danny doesn't doubt it for a second.


End file.
